The Proverbial Dreamer (2017 Collection)

The proverbial dreamer presents a journey that captures the transition that a girl makes; influenced by her childhood, into becoming a woman who is unashamedly bold and unapologetically authentic. In her quest to find her own identity, she explores the impact of bodily adornment through scarification. Scarification, which is an old common practice among African tribes, was regarded as a boundary marker of various stages of an individual’s life. In relation to women, it symbolized the transition a girl made from puberty to adulthood. The tribal markings are symbolic of the scars that mark every person’s journey as they go through various stages of self-discovery in their lives. Scarification was used as a symbol of civilization; these scars distinguished the civilized, socialized human body from the body in its natural state and even from animals. It is a long and painful process transmitting complex messages about identity and social status; a mark of pride rather than shame.